French minister heads to Caribbean territories to defuse tensions

An aerial view of burnt cars and debris blocking a road in the neighborhood of Lamentin after unrest triggered by COVID-19 curbs, which have have already rocked the nearby island of Guadeloupe, in Fort-De-France, Martinique November 27, 2021. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo

PARIS (Reuters) - France's minister for overseas territories will hold crisis talks on its Caribbean islands from Sunday, an official said, as the government looks to defuse tensions after more than a week of unrest stemming from its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic there.

"I don't think we will return to Paris necessarily having resolved the whole crisis, but if we take things bit by bit and methodically, it will calm things and open a constructive dialogue with all the actors," an official close to Minister Sebastian Lecornu told Reuters before the delegation arrives in Guadeloupe later on Sunday.